GORDON STRACHAN last night backed Celtic to keep the Scottish feelgood factor alive and kicking by beating Ajax in Amsterdam tomorrow – then doubling up with a win over Milan at Parkhead.

The Scotland boss has named three of Neil Lennon’s men in his squad for this month’s friendlies with the USA and Norway.

And he believes James Forrest, Charlie Mulgrew and Scott Brown will turn up full of confidence after their club has secured a vital Champions League victory in Holland.

Brown is suspended for the Group H clash but Strachan insists that will make no difference to the outcome in the Amsterdam ArenA.

He said: “Celtic can win and they can beat Milan. That’s not just hoping – I definitely think they can beat them.

“They’re a better team than Ajax at this moment. The Ajax team will develop – they look like a youth team and I don’t think anybody had a shave. But the Juventus side Celtic played a year before, they were men.

“Ajax will develop in the next nine months, a year, into an exceptional team again. Ajax’s problem, like most clubs, is they keep improving players then somebody buys them.

“Celtic have the strength and know-how to get a result as Ajax are not in the best of form. And they can definitely beat Milan.”

Strachan believes Scotland can get a spin-off from club success in Europe.

He added: “The more results our clubs can get the better we feel about ourselves. There’s no doubt Celtic’s experience in the Champions League has helped Scottish international football.

“It’s not an arrogance, it’s a confidence you feel. When you might have thought, ‘Am I good enough?’, it’s now a case of, ‘Yes, I am good enough’.

“It was like that when I was at Aberdeen. I’d come to Scotland squads and feel really comfortable. We weren’t overawed, anybody from Aberdeen, because we had done it already against good sides.

“I would love to get players with that experience of staying in Europe longer.

“Thinking back to when Rangers were on a good run and got to the UEFA Cup Final that added to the Scotland squad.

“But apart from Celtic the players don’t have European football which is a pity.